


Day to Day

by Darciacus



Series: Day to Day [1]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Brothers, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Humor, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2019-07-15 00:11:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16051460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darciacus/pseuds/Darciacus
Summary: Winry could feel a change between her and Edward ever since he and Alphonse had return home from their quest to get their bodies back. It was subtle at first, but slowly changed into something new for both of them.





	1. Glances

**Glances**

 

Even after a month Winry still couldn’t believe her eyes. They were okay! They were here and okay! After the promised day they had shown up on her doorstep, Alphonse back in his body, Edward with his arm. She had been elated, jumping into their arms and crying all the while. They had seemed just as happy as she was and it was so wonderful to be able to see that expression on Al’s face. Immediately she had checked them over, the doctor in her making sure that there were no injuries or infections. Ed had brushed her off saying he didn’t need a check up but he let her after she had threatened him with her wrench. Al was malnourished but in much better shape than she thought he would be so she had let them go to greet Granny. Seeing them walk up the steps into the house gave her a feeling of peace, like the final piece of the puzzle had been placed. 

The next week had been food and exercise, everyone pitching in to help Alphonse get back on his feet. Edward buzzed around him, worrying even when Alphonse brushed him off. It was nice to see that side of Ed and everyone was happy to have the boys home. Winry even stopped working long enough to enjoy it and Granny had told all incoming appointments to call in a week. It had been a time of family and of healing, trading stories and catching up on humor and sadness alike. Winry couldn't believe how many times she could have lost them and she had taken to holding Ed and Al's hands when they sat around the hearth. It made her feel safer to feel their pulse under her fingers, knowing that they were still alive. 

All things come to an end and orders couldn't be ignored for long so she had gotten back to work. She had settled into a pattern of waking up, having breakfast with everyone, working on her automail, having dinner, and sitting by the fire with the boys. It was a comfortable routine, and one she was happy to maintain. So she finished up the dishes and moved to join them in the living room.

Edward was sitting in a chair reading while Alphonse sat on the couch, a book falling from his hands. It seemed he was still adjusting to having to sleep every night while Ed seemed to have no trouble staying up to the wee hours of the morning. Not that he had to of course, but he said it was a habit at this point. Winry settled herself next to Al while cradling her cup of tea in her hands. She blew on it, watching the steam fly off into the air. She could feel the heat of the fire on her face and felt content, warmth flowing through her body.

Winry turned to Al and looked at his face. His cheekbones were still prominent but they were starting to fill out. It filled her with so much joy to see his recovery process. He was certainly eating enough, having gone through every apple pie she made him within hours. She was sure he would be running around with Den in no time. As she watched him she could see his head falling over as he struggled to keep himself awake.

“Al, why don’t you go up to bed?”

“It’s fine Winry, I’m not that tired.” Al said while stifling a yawn. She gave him a pointed look and he relented, gathering up his books and setting them in a pile next to the couch. He got up and said good night as he walked up the stairs to his room.

He really needs to get some sleep, Winry thought. She stretched, putting her cup on the side table. Granny had already gone to bed so she was left alone with Ed. This wasn’t an unusual occurrence as they had been left alone together for several nights now but it always felt...different. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it but something had changed between her and Ed. He was more gentle, she supposed. Well, as gentle as Edward Elric could be.

Winry looked across at Ed. He still had his nose in the book probably entrenched in the world of alchemy and elements. All stuff she didn’t fully understand but she could respect his work ethic. He brushed his hair back from his face. He was taller, taller than her, and had broad shoulders. His hair came down to his upper back but he usually tied it up in a ponytail unlike the braid he had donned when he was younger. All in all he looked like a man now, albeit one who still acted like a child sometimes. It was distracting to her and more often she found herself following his figure when he left, eyes dancing across muscles that had developed quite nicely. Even now she followed the line of his forearm as he turned the page. She shook her head slightly trying to wake up from her daze. She didn’t want him to catch her staring.

She turned to face the fire again. She was losing herself in thoughts of automail and appointments when Edward’s voice broke the silence.

“Hey Winry? Are you…” Edward said with a pause. She waited patiently, letting him continue. “Are you happy? Right now, I mean.”

She was surprised. Out of all the questions she thought he asked that wasn't one of them. But she smiled and answered. “Yes. Yes I am happy, Ed.”

He blushed and wouldn’t look her in the eye as he replied. “That’s good. You deserve it.” Even words as simple as that seemed to cause him to be uncomfortable. He really needed to get a handle on telling people how he felt without yelling. He looked at her and she could feel the heat rise to her face. She hoped he thought it was from the fire. Their eyes met and she thought that maybe he would say something more.

“I’m… gonna head to bed now. Night,” he said in a flurry. He rose from his seat and crossed in front of her.

“Oh! Good night then. See you in the morning,” Winry replied. She watched as he paused in front of her refusing to look at her. His face was red and his nose was all scrunched up. After standing for a few seconds he reached out and ruffled her hair. It was a small gesture but Winry felt her heart rate speed up. He stopped and rushed up the stairs. She watched as he left waiting for her heartbeat to return to normal. She turned, smiling, and stared at the fire. Yes, she was right. He was more gentle now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm new at this whole fanfiction thing so any tips or advice would be wonderful! Thanks for reading!


	2. Arguments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winry has work to do but Edward thinks she should sleep instead.

** Arguments **   


 

It had been a long day for Winry. She had been working since 6am on a new piece of automail for a client who simply had to have it as soon as possible. She really didn’t like having to rush but the client insisted that he needed a new foot for Friday giving her 3 days to get it ready. Theoretically, she had enough time provided she didn’t do anything but work until the deadline. 

Winry sighed. She may have been tired but she couldn’t complain. She loved her work and any opportunity to develop new automail technology and work on her technique was welcome. She just wished the clients were a bit easier to handle. Some could be wonderful, full of graciousness at the ability to move artificial limbs and return to their lives. Others were not as kind. She couldn’t help the slight smile as she thought about one particular client who was somehow both grateful and rude all at once. Showing up at her doorstep unannounced, leaving as soon as he could without ever giving her a phone call or letter to let her know he was okay.  _ Ah well _ , she thought.  _ Those days are over. _

Looking over her tools, Winry chose the screwdriver she needed and got back to work. It wasn’t until midnight that she heard a tap at her door that woke her from her concentration. She waited, knowing whoever it was would soon come in. Sure enough, Edward opened the door and walked towards her carrying a plate of food. 

“It’s midnight,” Edward said while looking at her with somewhat annoyed concern. “You need to sleep. First eat, then sleep.”

“I can’t, I have way too much work to do. This foot needs to be done for Friday and-” Edward cut her off by shoving a piece of bread in her mouth. “Eat. You won’t be able to do anything if you pass out from hunger,” he added.

Winry made a face but relented, grabbing her plate and sitting on a nearby chair. She knew he was right even if her pride wanted her to keep working. Besides, she was hungry and a short break wouldn’t hurt. She ate quickly, going through the plan in her head hoping to get back to work as soon as she was done. Dinner was delicious as usual. She could feel the warmth of the food in her stomach and could barely keep her eyes open. Edward watched as she ate, noticing the tiredness in her eyes. He studied her, paying attention to her hair slowly falling out of her bandanna and the grease covering her overalls. He could feel the blush rising on his cheeks as he looked at her but was pulled from his thoughts when she yawned.  _ She needs to get more sleep,  _ he thought. 

“Winry, you need to sleep,” Ed said, ignoring her protests. “You’re the best mechanic in Amestris. You can afford a nights’ rest.”

Winry swallowed her last bite and looked at him. He looked adamant and she could feel her temper rising as she worked to stay calm.

“It’s not about what I can and can’t afford to do. This is my job, this is what I do. I want to work,” she countered.

“Not at the cost of your health! Don’t be dumb. Go to bed!” Ed exclaimed, becoming more animated as he became more frustrated with her.

“Ed, this is important. I have a lot to do and if I work on it now I won’t rush when the deadline gets here,” she said as she stood up and walked towards him. “I don’t want to make any mistakes. I need to work on this!”

“You’ll make more mistakes if you pass out!”

“I’ll be fine, I don’t need you to babysit me. I can take care of myself. Besides I’ve been doing this for a long time. I know what I’m doing. This isn’t my first all-nighter!”

She was closer now, standing directly in front of him. Not for the first time she noticed the height difference, he was easily a head taller than she was. His hair was up in a ponytail and he was wearing more comfortable clothing than what he used to have when he was younger. She focused on his face, his mouth curled up in a scowl as he stared her down. His golden eyes bore into her blue ones and she knew if she let herself get distracted she would lose this fight.

“Let. me. work!” She punctuated by poking him in the chest with each word. He grabbed her hand in his, holding her arm down.

“Enough of this. You’re being stupid!” He yelled.

“What the hell, Ed! Don’t call me stupid!”

“I didn’t call you stupid, I said you’re being stupid. That’s totally different!”

“Is not!”

“Is too!”

“Is not!” 

Winry had had enough of this. She wrenched her hand back from his and turned to her workstation. She had barely gone one step before she felt hands on her waist pulling her back.

“Hey! What are you… Let me go!” She struggled as she felt Edward lifting her up and turning her so she was now being carried on his shoulder. She punched his back and was disheartened to find it had no effect. “Put me down!”

“No. You need sleep."

"Damn alchemy freak," she muttered to herself. 

"I care too much to let you be reckless in your own home. It is time for bed,” he said as he carried her up the stairs.

Winry paused. She wasn’t sure she had understood him correctly. She waited until he set her down in the kitchen so she could turn and look at him.

“You care about me?” She questioned.

“Oh come on, Win of course I do,” Ed said while blushing and scratching the back of his head. Winry thought about this a moment, taking in his expression. She knew he cared but she had never heard him say it so openly. Maybe he did have a point… And she was feeling tired. She could feel the yawn coming on even as she stood there. She debated for a few moments longer before finally deciding.

“Fine. I’ll go to bed. You win this time,” Winry said begrudgingly. 

Ed leaned in with a huge smirk on his face.  “I didn’t quite catch that. Who won exactly?” Damn him and his ego. She immediately regretted admitting it but then an idea came to her. As he leaned in to goad her she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek gently. She quickly turned away feeling the heat rise to her face. She couldn't believe she had done that!

Edward could feel his face turn bright red and he thanked his lucky stars that Al had already gone to bed.  He touched his cheek and thought he could still feel the ghost of her lips there. So soft, he wondered if he'd ever get a chance to kiss her properly. He turned to face her as she reached the stairs, hoping she couldn't tell what he was thinking. He didn't think he could handle a wrench to the head right now. Winry cleared her throat to get his attention.

“You know… You could come and get me if I work late tomorrow too,” Winry said. She was blushing just as much as he was but she smiled at him all the same. It filled him with warmth, just like it always did, and he couldn't help his smile in return. 

“I might just have to do that. Can’t have our best mechanic be sleep deprived,” he said with a grin. She giggled at that and went up the stairs. He always felt a little light headed when she laughed. What has she done to me, he thought as he leaned against the wall of the kitchen and sighed. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to him, Winry was leaning against the wall of her bedroom wondering the exact same thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the wonderful response! Hope you enjoy Chapter 2!


	3. Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winry is not so subtly glancing at Edward's hands.

** Hands **

 

She was watching his hands. Edward had noticed this over the course of several days. At first he thought nothing of it. It was a glance here or there, nothing important or meaningful. But then, he started to read into it more deeply. Once, it was when he was writing a letter back to Central. He was thinking of the best way to insult that bastard Mustang and was twirling the pen in his hands when he noticed Winry. She was leaning on the wall listening to Granny talk and staring intently at his hand. He abruptly stopped and she looked away. He couldn’t have been imaging her blush, could he?

And then there was the time when he was helping out with dinner. Edward had been chopping onions and Winry almost let the stew burn because she was looking at him. Granny wouldn’t stop scolding the both of them even though he had nothing to do with it. It happened more and more often and he began to count them, treating it like an experiment. What day, what time, what was the situation, all these questions he asked as he tried to look for patterns in her behaviour. It had seemed random at first but he began to notice that it happened most often in the evenings. Usually when everyone had settled in for the night and the two of them were left.

Ed wasn’t stupid, he knew they were circling around each other especially since Winry had kissed his cheek that one night 2 weeks ago. But there was something exciting about seeing what would happen next. He had missed out on a lot and so he was content to let everything evolve naturally. Plus it was fun to see her blush and stammer even if he had the exact same expression on his face too. It was a blessing in its own way.

“Check.” Edward was thrown from his thoughts by Alphonse’s words. They were playing chess as a way for Al to keep his mind off of his pain from physical therapy. Ed could empathise, he still remembered how it felt to learn to use his automail limbs. To start from scratch and build up his body had not been easy and he imagined it felt similar to what Al had to work through. So he had agreed to a game of chess. 8 games later, however, he was starting to regret what he had started.

They were tied with this being the final game to decide the winner. It had been fun in the beginning and even though Ed felt extremely competitive with his brother he had been distracted by the entrance of a certain automail mechanic. Winry had caught up with all her orders and had taken a shower before curling up next to the fire to watch them continue their games. It took most of his self control to plan his moves and not take secret glances at her. It was rare that she came down after her shower and her wet hair was certainly grabbing his attention.

“Brother? It’s your move,” Alphonse said. Edward pulled himself back to the game and moved his knight. Al countered with his queen and soon the game was over.

“Haha, I win! I did-” Al cut himself off with a yawn and Ed gave him a look. “I know, I know. Time for bed.” He stretched and stood up while Ed began packing up the game. He could feel Winry’s stare as he put away each piece. Why is she so interested in my hands, he thought.

“Maybe we can have another match tomorrow?” Al asked with a slight tilt of the head.

“Course, whatever you want Al,” Edward said. He smiled as Al beamed and rushed to put away the chess set. “But only if you go to bed. I don’t need you passing out during physio tomorrow.”

“I wouldn’t do that brother. I’m much more responsible than that,” Al said.

“Yeah yeah, I know,” Ed responded.

“Night Winry, see you in the morning,” Al turned to her. She was falling asleep where she sat, dozing in and out. Al quickly realised and mouthed good night to his brother. He turned and went up the stairs to his room.

Edward looked at the sleeping girl. He was still thinking about earlier and the feeling of Winry's stare when he felt a small tug on his sleeve. He looked down to see big, blue eyes staring at him.

“Sit with me?” Winry asked. He had no choice, not with her looking at him like that. He sat next to her on the couch, grabbing a blanket and pulling it over the both of them. Winry snuggled into the wool and moved closer to him. Ed stared hard into the fire willing the blush away from his cheeks. He was so aware of her. Her feet were curled up on the couch slightly touching his leg, her arm was lying on the blanket next to his, and her shoulder was so close to his own. I wonder if she’s thinking the same thing, Ed thought.

“So… How’s work going?” Ed asked. Winry smiled at his awkward attempt to start conversation.

“It’s going well! Today I finished the big piece I was working on. I was stressing about it for days so it feels good to relax,” Winry said as she stretched her arms.

“I bet. Well, good work then,” Ed responded.

“Thank you!” She replied with a bright smile. He looked away at that. He knew he was a sucker for her smile. Ed stared at the fire again and started massaging his right hand, a habit he had picked up after it had come back. He could feel her stare again.

“Why do you keep doing that?” he asked not unkindly.

“Doing what?” She countered softly.

“Staring at my hands. You’ve been doing it for days now. Is it...Is it cause my hand is back?” Ed turned to look at her again. She shined in the firelight.

“What? I… I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Winry turned away and blushed brightly.

“Win, come on. You can tell me,” He shifted closer and gently touched her shoulder. She slowly turned to look at him.

“I suppose at first, it was because your arm was back. But now…” She trailed off. Edward didn’t know people could turn that red. He thought about pushing her more but decided against it. He knew what her temper was like so he bit his tongue and waited.

“Now… I think I’m just waiting,” Winry finished.

“Waiting? For what?” Ed asked, confused.

Winry sighed. He was so dense.

“Waiting for you to hold my hand, dummy!” She exclaimed as loud as she could to not wake the other people in the house. She stared him down as he clued in on her words.

“Wha… Oh! Oh I… I see,” Ed stuttered. They looked at each other both feeling awkward and nervous but comfortable all the same. And then he took her hand.

Edward was sure she could tell he was sweating. He thought his hand must feel disgusting. But she didn’t let go and eventually they relaxed. It began to feel natural as they settled into the feeling. He started to feel a bit brave and stroked his thumb along the back of her hand. He noticed her slight smile and felt better. She adjusted slightly, interlacing their fingers together. It was nice and comforting. Winry slowly turned their hands while looking at different angles and relishing in the feeling of his palm on hers, his pulse just as rapid as her own.

"I'm kinda surprised," Edward said breaking the silence.

"Why's that?" Winry asked.

"I didn't know how nice it would be to hold your hand."

"I'm glad I said something or I would have waited forever for you to notice," teased Winry.

"What? I totally would've noticed. Don't underestimate me," Ed spluttered.

"Sure, sure what ever you say," she smiled and said. "You are right though. It is nice."

Time passed as the two of them sat, both staring at their hands. They were taking in the sight of it all and how it felt to cross this line from friendship to… something else. Something just as important but maybe didn’t need a name quite yet. They had plenty of time. Edward thought he could understand why Winry was staring before. He might have to take up this hobby too if it meant he could hold her hand again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one ended up being mostly from Edward's perspective. Didn't really plan it that way but I think it works. Hope you enjoyed it!


	4. Annoyance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alphonse is becoming fed up with this house's residents.

** Annoyance **

 

Alphonse was the happiest he had been in a long time. His body was back and his brother was safe and his little patchwork family was all together again. He was incredibly grateful to Edward for everything he’s done and to Winry and Granny for giving them a place to return to. A place to call home. The last few months had been difficult and he couldn’t have done it without them. Training his body to do everything he wanted to do was more draining than he thought and it had taken a while to get used to how much information there was. His sight improved, his sense of taste and touch returned and it could be overwhelming. But slowly, with everyone’s help, he had recovered enough to take care of himself again. 

All of this was fantastic news and he was ecstatic over his increased strength and ability. But… Despite his happiness and gratitude he still couldn’t help some annoyance. He didn’t fault himself for that. He took it as a sign that the worst truly was over and he could allow himself to care about petty little things again. It was a relief to have normal everyday occurrences to fret about instead of end of the world consequences. So he was annoyed. 

Currently, he was sitting at the table with the reasons for his annoyance. Two reasons to be specific. Winry was sitting on his right doling apple pie out to himself and his brother who was sitting on her right. All in all, a mundane occurrence. And yet he could feel his eyebrows furrow as he watched them interact. Hesitant, blushing and fumbling whenever their hands touched or shoulders bumped. Al watched as Ed and Winry made eye contact and immediately looked away in embarrassment. These were the toughest people he knew and they were acting like they were thirteen years old! It was obvious to him that they were in love and he was glad they were finally getting to experience those feelings properly. But did they have to do it every single time they were in the room together? Especially when he was sitting right there?!

“What’s wrong, Al? You’re making a face,” Winry asked, face wrinkled with concern. 

“It’s nothing, just a little annoyance that’s all,” Al responded. He turned to his apple pie and took a big bite. Delicious.

“Are you feeling okay? Your body’s fine?” Ed looked at him in alarm.

“Yes I’m fine. Clean bill of health,” Al said. Another bite of pie.

“Then what’s the annoyance? Allergies?” Winry questioned. Ed turned to her.

“Alphonse doesn’t have allergies,” he commented.

“You don’t know. Maybe it’s new,” suggested Winry.

“I would know, he’s my brother. He doesn’t have allergies.” Ed was becoming a bit heated now. Al knew it was just over-protectiveness. Ever since he got his body back Edward wanted to know everything about his health. He was sure Ed was just upset over the idea that Al could have allergies and Ed wouldn’t know.

“Excuse me! It was a suggestion,” Winry said as she took a bit of pie. “You don’t have to get upset.”

“I’m not upset, I’m right!” Ed leaned back as he said this crossing his arms in front of him. 

“You don’t know that!”

“You can be so stubborn!”

“And you aren’t! Why I-”

“Enough!” Al exclaimed cutting off the fight. “This. This is the annoyance. You two!”

A harsh silence settled over the trio. Winry was the first to break it.

“Us? You mean our fighting?”

Al sighed. “No, not your fighting. You guys have been fighting since the day you were born.”

“Then what is it? Spit it out,” Ed said angrily. 

“Yeah, tell us Al,” Winry added. 

“Your flirting!” Al stated confidently. He watched as their dumbfounded looks turned to bright red cheeks and embarrassed expressions.

“Flirting? We’re not, I mean-”

“Us? Me and this gearhead? Definitely not!”

“Are you saying I’m unflirtable?”

“That’s not even a word-”

“Don’t start again! At least not until I leave the room,” Al cut in.

Winry put a hand on Al’s arm. “Al, I’m sorry if our fighting makes you uncomfortable but I really don’t understand what you mean by flirting.”

“I’ve noticed, you know? The eye contact, the hand holding. And you’ve always fought but now it’s different.”

Edward knew exactly what he meant. He and Winry would look at each other for a little too long. He would grab her hand under the dinner table and wait until everyone went to bed before reaching over and pulling her closer. He would pick fights over stupid things just to see her reactions. She could get so mad, her face would scrunch up and she would yell at him as loudly as she could. It was adorable. He was embarrassed to share this but it had felt private. Something for just him and Winry. Something he didn’t quite want to share yet. And now that his little brother was noticing? Well it meant he might not have been hiding it as well as he thought.

Ed looked over at Winry. Her face was burning red and she was twisting her napkin in her hand, pie long forgotten. He knew she did not want to talk about the details of their possible relationship with his brother. So he decided to help her out.

“Okay, okay. You caught us. Sorry this makes you annoyed. We’ll try to be more private.” 

Al was surprised. “Oh, I don’t care if you guys flirt.” 

“You don’t? But you just said…” Winry trailed off. 

“I thought you guys hadn’t realized it. You can be a bit dense, you know? But if you know you’re flirting then that’s a different story.” Al turned back to his pie. “When did you find time for a date? I didn’t notice.”

“A date?” Ed and Winry chorused.

Al looked at the two of them. These idiots. “Brother, you’re flirting with her but you haven’t asked her on a date? I’m embarrassed for you.”

“What the hell, Al! I don’t need dating advice from my little brother!” Ed exclaimed. 

Winry turned to look at him. “Actually, Al raises a good point. When are you going to ask me on a date, Ed?” She smiled and leaned in his direction. 

Ed was sure his ears would burn off. “I can’t believe I’m taking the brunt of this. What about Winry? She hasn’t asked me on a date either!”

“That’s surprising in and of itself. I really thought she would be the forward one,” Al remarked as he finished off his plate.

“I haven’t had time. I’ve was working on that arm piece for my new client,” Winry pointed out.

“So? It takes two seconds to ask someone on a date,” Ed countered.

“Yeah but I didn’t know when I would have time for a date. I don’t make plans that I don’t intend to do,” Winry said.

“You have time now!” 

“So do you!”

The couple stared each other down. Al was beginning to regret saying he was okay with them flirting in front of them. At this pace they would be sixty by the time they got married.

“Okay, enough of this. You two are being ridiculous. Why don’t you two go on a picnic tomorrow afternoon? You can go down to the creek, maybe go swimming. It’ll be fun.”

Ed shook his head. “I can’t believe my brother is setting up my first date.”

“I’m doing it because you were taking too long. I want to hang out with a niece or nephew in this lifetime,” Al teased.

“Alphonse!” Both cried.

Al laughed. Maybe it wasn’t such an annoyance after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter! October was a busy time but I'm glad I got through my writers block. I keep playing around with the perspective. Originally this was all going to be from Winry's POV. I think it turned out well though. Hope you enjoy!


	5. First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to take Alphonse's advice.

**First Date**

 

Edward Elric was scared. He had been through so much; homunculi, crooked governments, a deranged alchemist trying to kill him. The list went on and on and looking back he could honestly say he knew true fear. Whether for himself or for others he cared about. But he had never known fear quite like this before. He was standing in his room, looking at a mirror, hoping that he was ready and knowing he was not. He was wearing a crisp, white button-down and tan slacks. He had tied his hair back and had even bothered to brush it. He looked like he was ready and yet he was still scared. 

Winry was… amazing. His best friend, his mechanic, his support. She was one of the few people he knew whose lectures he would actually listen to. She was smart, funny, determined, brave. He could sit for hours listing all the adjectives that he thought applied to her. And he was going on a date. With her. A date with Winry. Just the thought turned his stomach into butterflies.  _ This is ridiculous,  _ Ed thought.  _ I am the fullmetal alchemist. I can go on a date.  _ He looked at himself and the mirror and tried not to imagine everything that could go wrong. 

“Ed? Are you ready to go?” A voice from down the hall asked.

“Yeah, one sec,” he called back.

He took a deep breath, took one final glance at his appearance, and walked out into the hall. There she was, in a light blue sundress with her hair down holding a large picnic basket.  _ Beautiful,  _ he thought before quickly trying not to stare. 

“All good?” Winry asked. 

“Yeah,” Edward responded as best he could. He was having a hard time focusing on anything but how fast his heart was beating.

Winry turned and led him down the stairs. She said a quick goodbye to Al and Granny in the living room before turning to the front door and going outside. Ed followed behind shoving his hands in his pockets as they walked along the road.

“Is everything alright? You’re being kinda quiet. That’s pretty weird for you,” Winry said with concern.

“I’m fine, just fine. Don’t worry about it,” Ed waved her off. 

Winry furrowed her eyebrows. She was a bit concerned at Ed’s lack of enthusiasm. She thought he wanted to go on this date. She looked at him again, watching as he stared at the ground. It made her sad to think that he wasn’t looking forward to it like she had been. Last night had been full of restlessness, trying to pick an outfit, worrying about what would happen, going back and forth between scenarios and conversation topics. She had ended up cleaning the entire kitchen and starting her next automail project to try and keep her mind occupied. She thought that maybe he was feeling the same but he had barely looked at her since they had left the house. She sighed and quickened her pace towards the creek. 

They arrived soon enough and Winry laid out the blanket she brought in a shady spot underneath an old oak tree. She smoothed out the creases as best she could and sat down. Edward sat next to her leaving a small space between them. Winry opened up the picnic basket and brought out the food she had made for them. 

“Here. There’s some sandwiches, apples, and some cookies as well. Oh, and lemonade. Dig in.”

“Wow, thanks Win.”

Edward began devouring his sandwich. Winry ate with considerably less enthusiasm but cheered up a little as she watched him enjoy her food. Nothing better for a cook than a person with a healthy appetite. She tried to think of conversation topics.

“So Ed, have you heard anything from Central recently?” Winry asked between bites.

“Nothing really, just an update letter from Colonel Bastard. Talking about reparations and contact with the North. And some smug bragging about his new status,” Ed responded.

“I’m glad it’s good news. Although you could stand to be a little more civil. And maybe call him by his first name. At least his proper title.”

“No way, he’ll always be colonel bastard to me no matter how many fancy promotions he gets.”

Winry laughed. This was how it usually was, them hanging out and talking. She could feel herself relaxing as she told him about her clients and he went on about alchemy. It felt normal.

They quickly finished up the food and she put everything away in the basket. Edward stretched out on the blanket and put his hands behind his head. It was a warm day and the shade did little to cool him off. He was feeling a little sleepy when he felt a small finger poke his cheek.

“Winry?” 

“Oh! Sorry, I just wanted to check if you were sleeping.”

“By poking my face?”

“It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Edward laughed. She could be so cute.

“Hey, Ed. Why did you… Why didn’t you say anything? Back at the house, I mean.” 

Edward opened his eyes and looked at her. She was pulling on the ends of her hair and not looking at him. It was obvious that she was uncomfortable and he immediately felt guilty.

“Well, that’s cause I was,” he paused slightly and took a big breath. “I was nervous.”

“Nervous? Really?” Winry looked at him.

“It happens! I get nervous, not my fault. Besides, Al kept teasing me yesterday and I didn’t know what to do if I screwed it up and then you just had to look so pretty and I don’t know. I froze.” As he talked, Ed sat up and looked at the water of the creek trying not to look at her.

A small silence occurred and Ed could feel his nerves becoming more frayed until, finally, Winry spoke.

“You think I look pretty?” 

Ed started. He had not been expecting that. 

“Of course I do. I always think that,” he said it in the same way he would an alchemy equation. An undeniable truth.

“Wow, uh, I see. Um, that makes sense now, the whole silent thing. Well, I think you’re kinda handsome yourself,” she said.

He cleared his throat. “Thanks.”

The two of them watched the water and tried not to think too hard while their minds reeled from the new information. Out of nowhere, Edward laughed. 

“What? What is it?” Winry asked, kind of laughing as well.

“We are ridiculous, aren’t we?” Ed said through his chuckles. “Getting all tense and nervous just because we’re attractive.”

“I think it’s more because we think each other attractive but I see your point. It is kinda stupid.” Winry laughed a bit harder.

“This is a date. Dates should be fun so let’s go have some!” Ed exclaimed. 

He stood up and offered her his hand. She took it and he pulled her up and towards the creek.

“Whoa, Ed!” 

“Come on, come on!”

He dragged her towards the water and started taking his shoes off. She followed suit and, after rolling up his pant legs, he waded into the water with Winry in tow. It was chilly but refreshing in the summer heat. Winry giggled and splashed Ed slightly.

“Oh, you’re gonna regret that,” he threatened. 

He immediately splashed her back getting the end of her dress damp. A small battle ensued and both sides came out mostly drenched and laughing.

“I’m glad it’s warm out otherwise we’d definitely end up sick,” Winry said.

“Nah, we’re resilient. We’d be fine,” Ed replied.

“Oh really? Remember when we were kids, that time you, me, and Al all got the flu?”

“That was one time! Barely counts.”

“It definitely counts. Just admit I’m right.”

“Never gonna happen.”

Winry shook her head and smiled at him. Edward could feel his face heat up like it did every time he saw her smile.  _ What has she done to me? _   He thought. __ He reached over and took her hand. She paused but did eventually thread her fingers through his. They walked back to the blanket and moved it to the sunshine. Winry laid down and spread the end of her dress out so it would dry.

“Move over Win, I need some room,” Edward said.

“Hmm, nope,” Winry replied while giggling.

Edward narrowed his eyes. He was not one to back down from a challenge. He dropped to his knees and began to push her over. Winry began to squeal and tried to fight back. 

“Ed, stop it. I’m comfy,” she whined.

“Be comfy on that side of the blanket,” he countered.

Finally, with a huff, she rolled over so he could lie down. Once comfy again, he turned to look at her.

“What?” Winry asked.

“It’s nothing,” Ed responded.

“Tell me!”

"I said, it's nothing."  


"Tell me. Tell me. Tell me."

"Fine, fine. Geez." He paused slightly but then went on. “I’m happy.”

Winry felt like someone had tugged directly on her heartstrings.  _ Finally _ , she thought. After a moment, she snuggled closer and rested her head on his chest.

“I’m glad.” 

The two of them laid there as the sun slowly went down across the sky. Their clothes dried and they were a little uncomfortable lying on the ground but they still stayed as long as they could. Neither of them wanted to move. It was some time before Winry groaned and sat up to stretch.

“Let’s go, Granny and Al are going to be wondering where we are,” Winry said.

“Do we have to? I was falling asleep,” whined Ed.

“Yes, we do. Now come on.”

She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet despite his complaining. They folded up the blanket and put it in the basket before heading back to the house. Edward took her hand. It was becoming second nature to him, a comfortable action.  _ At least I can do this without making a total ass of myself, _ thought Ed. They walked back to the house in silence. 

At the front steps Winry paused. Edward stopped on the stair but turned and stepped down to her level.

“What’s up, Win?” he asked.

She looked at him, feeling all the butterflies from this morning come rushing back to her stomach. She took a big breath and said, “Ed, do you know what people do at the end of a date?”

Ed stared at her for a few seconds before cluing in. His eyes went wide and his face went bright red. He could feel his heartbeat racing in his chest.

“Oh yeah, that. That thing. Yeah I know that.”

“So,” she drawled out the oh in the word. “Are you going to do that? That thing.”

“Right, well, I guess. I mean… If you’re okay with it. Cause I am. Okay with it. I’m okay with it.”

Winry could feel her blush on her cheeks. It was ridiculous. It was a just a kiss. Her first kiss, yes, but just a kiss. She planned on having lots of those in her future.  _ What has happened to me?   _ Winry thought.  _ I wish I had my wrench.  _ She tried to ignore the how sweaty her hands had become as she answered. 

“I’m okay with it. Really. Maybe even more than okay with it. But if you’re going to hesitate this much then it’s okay. There’s no pressure. Let’s just go ins-”

Edward grabbed her shoulders and kissed her. It was light and hesitant but he did it. He stayed there for a few seconds before pulling back and looking at her. 

“Was that okay?” He asked nervously.

Winry looked at him as she lightly placed her hands behind his neck and pulled him down to her height. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him with more pressure than before. She moved her lips the slightest amount and felt him respond in kind. His lips were a bit rougher than hers and it was clear that neither of them had any experience but it was still wonderful.  _ I’m kissing him!   _ Winry thought. She felt his hands slide down her back and pull her closer. She decided to be a bit braver and stepped forward a tiny bit to be closer to him. They bumped noses by accident and she tried to focus on how nice it felt to kiss him instead of her embarrassment. She could feel him breathe and thought maybe she could feel his heartbeat.  _He's so warm._

After a while both of them stopped and leaned their foreheads together. Edward couldn’t believe it.  _ I kissed Winry Rockbell. I kissed her. And she kissed me back!   _ He thought.  _ I didn’t screw it up!  _ The feeling was amazing.  _ Her lips are so soft. She’s so tiny, I’m so much taller than her. Her eyes are really blue. Wait, her eyes? _ Edward realized she was looking at him.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey,” he answered.

“So… We kissed.”

“Yeah.”

“Is that something that we do now?” 

Edward smiled his biggest, brightest smile and Winry couldn’t help but smile back.

“I sure hope so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took me a little bit but I finally finished my newest chapter! Hope you enjoy, this was really fun to write!


	6. Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winry worries about where she stands with Edward while he doesn't.

** Us **

 

Relationships were new to Winry. She had spent most of her life focused on one goal; perfecting her automail. She worked hard to be the best she could be and tried not to get distracted by thoughts of love or dating. She respected others who were interested in it and sometimes she felt jealous of those who got to experience it, but she had too much to worry about to dwell. She loved her work so she focused on that. By the time she even realised her feelings for Edward he was too far in on his journey, so she pushed it aside to help in the few ways she could. 

But now things were different. Edward and her were in a relationship.  _ I think it’s called dating. Or is it seeing each other? We do relationship things. So we must be in a relationship. Right? _ Winry was organizing her workshop. Her mind always drifted when she cleaned. It was a slow day, September had begun so the children were back in school and the adults were beginning to prepare for the harvest festival. She had a few days off before the new shipment of parts came in and she could never stay put for long. So she had decided to give her workshop an overhaul. It would probably take up most of the day and give her plenty of time tomorrow to help with Alphonse’s recovery.

He looked much healthier, able to run and move with ease. His muscle training was coming along but he wasn’t able to compete with Ed yet. They had attempted to spar a few times but Ed had called that off after winning all 3 matches. Winry chuckled at the memory, recalling how Ed had immediately let the success go to his head. “You need more training Al or you’ll never catch up to me!” He stopped showboating when she threw her wrench at him while she and Al had laughed up a storm. Other than his physical abilities, every other part of him seemed fine. The brothers had taken to studying alchemy every night after dinner and had recently been focusing on alkahestry and the country of Xing. Winry had no doubt that that was where Al was headed next especially after hearing stories of their travels. A certain talented alkahestrist and her pet panda came to mind. 

Winry began cleaning off her desk, moving all her bigger tools to the side to make room for her polishing equipment.  _ Granny always says a cluttered workroom is a cluttered mind.  _ But before she could begin the task at hand, she heard familiar, uneven footsteps coming down the stairs. 

“Hey Win, whatcha up to?” Asked Edward as he walked towards her.

“Oh nothing, just cleaning my work station,” Winry responded.

“Slow day, huh? Can I help with anything?”

Winry was taken aback. “You want to help?”

“I’ve got nothing better to do. Why not?”

“Edward, I sincerely doubt you don’t have anything important to work on. What’s Al doing?”

“He’s helping Granny put away groceries.” Edward leaned towards her. “I can’t help you out sometimes?” 

“No, of course you can, I was just surprised. You’ve never offered to help out before.”

Edward furrowed his eyebrows.  _ I’ve seriously never asked to help out. What’s wrong with me? _

“You can start by sweeping the floor while I polish my tools. The broom is over there,” Winry said while pointing to the object in question.

Edward began sweeping as she began her task. A comfortable silence fell between the two as they worked. It had become commonplace for the two of them to sit and work together so Winry was used to the quiet. But she still couldn’t get rid of the nagging thoughts she had.  _ Boyfriend? Relationships? Why do I even care about this?  _ Eventually she couldn’t help it.

“Hey, Ed. What are we?” Winry asked, putting down her cloth and wrench. 

Ed turned towards her as he finished his task. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, are we dating? Or in a relationship? What’s going on?” Winry felt strangely nervous. It felt weird to say her thoughts out loud and she had never been one to worry about her standing with Ed before.  _ Everything feels way more difficult than it should be. _

Ed paused and looked at her. He had thought about it in passing but had never felt the need to worry about it.  _ Winry is Winry, not much else to it,  _ he thought. 

“I guess a relationship would be the best way to describe it. But I don’t think it really matters,” he said.

“Why not?” Winry questioned.

“There’s no reason to give it a name. I think it’s pretty obvious to the people who know us and for the people who don’t, it’s none of their business.” Ed scratched the back of his head and shrugged. “It is what it is.”

Winry leaned against her desk.  _ He always makes everything so simple. Everything I was worried about always seems so much easier when I talk to him. Even if he is ridiculous sometimes.  _ She started giggling.

“Ehh? What’s so funny?” Ed asked, chuckling a little to himself as he watched her.

“Oh, nothing,” Winry said through her laughter. 

“Come on, tell me.”

“It’s just I always thought it would be you who would freak out about this stuff, not the other way around.”

Ed crossed his arms and began to frown. “Of course I wouldn’t freak out. I’m great at everything I do!”

Winry shook her head. “Suure you are. Edward Elric, love master.”

“You doubt my skills? I swept you off your feet, didn’t I?”

“Yup. And it only took you, what, a year? Not to mention all those times you wrecked my automail. I can practically feel myself swooning,” Winry said as she pretended to fan herself. 

“Alright, you asked for it!” Edward lunged towards her and grabbed her waist.

“Ed!”

He reached down and grabbed her legs as she tried to twist out of his grip. 

“Haha! I literally swept you off your feet!” He cried triumphantly as held Winry in his arms. She felt a little embarrassed to be picked up so easily.

“Ha-ha, very funny. Now put me down!”

“Nope, not until you admit it.”

Winry swatted his chest. “Edward! I have to clean,” she whined.

“Then you better hurry up and say it.”

“Fine. You swept me off my feet. Happy now?”

Edward smiled in the way only he can. “Very. I’m gonna pick you up every time we have an argument,” he said as he put her down. 

“Try it again and you’ll get a wrench to the head.” Winry got to her feet and turned towards him.

“Damnit, Winry. Leave that weapon out of this.”

She smiled at him. She had to admit she felt a lot better now.  _ It’s like my previous thoughts don’t even matter now. _

“Thanks,” Winry said. 

“Anytime, Win,” Ed responded.

She stepped forwards and stretched to kiss his cheek. Ed turned bright red and looked at the wall. 

“How is it you can talk about something as sappy our relationship with no problem but can’t kiss me without avoiding me for days?” Winry teased.

“Whatever, that’s totally different,” Ed pouted.

“Edward, look at me,” Winry tugged on his sleeve. 

He reluctantly turned his head to look at her. She smiled evilly as she pulled him down for a kiss. Ed flinched a bit at her actions but quickly settled into the feeling of Winry’s lips. He felt her mouth move against his and grabbed her waist to pull her closer. 

After some time, Ed pulled away. Winry stared at him, dazed. He smiled at her, the care obvious in his eyes.

“I thought you were going to clean?” He asked.

“I got a bit distracted,” she answered.

“I can see that. Come on, let’s finish up quickly.” He lightly kissed her forehead.

From upstairs a shout was heard.

“YOU TWO BETTER NOT BE CANOODLING INSTEAD OF CLEANING! DON’T MAKE ME COME DOWN THERE!” Yelled Granny.

“SHUT YOUR TRAP, YOU OLD HAG!” Ed yelled back.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME, YOU BEANSPROUT?”

“WHAT THE HELL, I’M THREE TIMES YOUR SIZE NOW!”

“ENOUGH! WE’RE CLEANING, GRANNY!” Winry cut in before the argument could get any worse. She let go of Ed and turned to her desk once again. 

“Wrinkly witch, I can’t believe she called me short,” Ed grumbled to himself.

“Yes, yes. It’s very upsetting. Get to work,” Winry replied.

They both went back to their previous tasks, falling back into the routine of cleaning. But not before certain promises were made for more canoodling later on in the evening. 

“Hey, Ed? You’re the best boyfriend ever,” Winry said.

Edward’s eyes widened as he looked at the wall, trying hard not to blush and failing miserable. Winry laughed as she watched.  _ So maybe he’s not so good at talking about it after all. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! The holidays were busy as usual and this time of year isn't super great for my mental health so I took a little longer than usual. I'm not super happy with this one but a little bit of flirting is always fun. I'm hoping the next chapters will be a little more advancing of their relationship. As always, thanks for reading!


	7. Her Earrings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward has put this off long enough.

**Her Earrings**

It had been months since Edward had returned from his journey. Al and him had long settled down into the routine of life in Resembool and Ed couldn’t be happier. There was just one little thing that still bothered him.

He still had her earrings. 

He had meant to give them back to Winry as soon as he arrived but there were stories to tell and Al’s recovery to focus on. By the time he realized what he’d done, too much time had passed. It would be strange or, at the very least, confusing to give them back now. Ed was sure he would have to answer the inevitable question.  _ Why didn’t you give these back earlier? _ He could imagine her face with her nose scrunched up in that cute way and her head tilted as she looked at him with those bright, blue eyes. He didn’t have an answer for her.

It definitely had nothing to do with her. He didn’t carry them around in his pocket as a reminder of her when he had to go into Central. He didn’t hold on to the earrings when his nightmares were too much and he needed something, anything, to ground him to reality. He didn’t look at them and remember her face when he gave them to her.  _ It has nothing to do with her at all. _

Edward was musing over this in his bedroom as he sat as his desk, holding her one of her earrings in his hand. The sun was setting and the town had begun to get ready for bed. Everyone in the house had retreated to their bedrooms for the night so Ed was left to his own devices. He was so deep in thought that he didn’t hear the small knock at his door nor the sound of small footsteps as they walked through his room and came up behind him. He did, however, hear the slight “Ed” next to his ear.

“WHA- What the hell Winry, you surprised me.”

“Sorry, sorry. I thought you heard me.” Winry walked over and sat cross-legged on his bed. “What are you hiding?”

Ed had immediately covered her earrings with his hands when he realized she was there. Unfortunately, he was not as subtle as he thought he was and Winry saw through him immediately.

“Hiding? I’m not hiding anything. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ed said quickly. He began to drag his hands back trying to casually hide the earrings.

“Edward Elric. Tell me what you’re hiding.” Winry glared at him.

“Winry Rockbell. I’m not hiding anything.” He stood up in front of her view of the desk. 

Winry stood up to meet him and, as quick as she could, reached behind him. Ed was faster though, and he lifted his arms above his head out of her reach. 

“Edward,” Winry whined. “That’s not fair.”

“It’s completely fair cause I’m not hiding anything.” Ed stretched higher.

Winry huffed causing her bangs fluttered in front of her face. She took a small step back and jumped forward using his shoulders as leverage. She managed to grabbed his hand and tried to pry it open. Ed, taken by surprise, stumbled back and hit the corner of the desk behind him. The two of them tumbled to the side and fell to the floor. The earrings rolled across the room. 

“Ow… Geez, Win, you trying to hurt me?” Ed rubbed at his side as he sat upright.

“I’m not the one who fell over.” She pushed herself up. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Are you alright though? Did you hit your head?” Ed touched the side of her face and looked at her worryingly. 

“I’m good, no damage done.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes, yes,” Winry said, distracted. She had reached over and grabbed one of her earrings as Ed had checked to make sure she was okay.

“Is this my earring? That’s what you wouldn’t show me?” Winry looked at him quizzically.

Ed reached to take it from her but she pulled back and looked at him with one eyebrow raised. Ed sighed.

“Yes, it’s your earring.” He turned and picked up the other ones to give to her. “Here.”

“Oh, thank you. I was wondering when I would get these back.” Winry undid one to put back into her ear. 

Ed watched as she repeated the process with each earring until she was wearing all 6 once again. She rubbed her ear slightly when she was done, wincing at the feeling. 

“There, back to normal.” She said, smiling. “I’m going back to my room now, night.” She leaned forward and quickly kissed him on the cheek before standing and walking towards the door. 

“That’s it?” Edward said. 

Winry turned and looked at him. “Did you want a better kiss?”

“No, not that!”

“Good, cause I don’t think you’re in any position to be making demands. You did just knock me over.”

Ed stood up and walked over to her. He floundered slightly before deciding to grab her hand. Winry looked at him patiently.

“The earrings.”

“Yes? What about them?” Winry asked. She rolled her eyes slightly. Ed looked so cute when he was confused. She knew the best thing to do was to wait and let him figure out what he wanted to say.

“I thought… You would have more to say.” Ed stared at their hands.  _ Why do I have so much difficulty talking to this woman? _

“More to say about the earrings,” Winry said, amused. She tried not to smile as he refused to look at her.

“Yeah, that.” He swung their hands slightly.

“Why?” 

“Cause I didn’t give them back to you back when I returned.”

“Right, right. And you thought I would ask about that?”

Ed nodded. He was staring at the floor like a sad puppy. Winry decided to help him out a bit. 

“Ed, it’s okay. Look at me.” She lightly touched his face and directed his eyes upwards. “I’m listening.”

Ed hesitated. He looked at her eyes waiting for him and decided.

“I know I should have given them back to you before but I got used to having them. It was like a good luck charm or something. It made me feel better. But then it was months later and I didn’t have a good excuse or anything and I thought you might be mad or thought it was weird or something,” he rambled. 

Winry’s heart melted. “Aww, Ed.” She reached forward and gave him a hug. After a moment, he returned it. She felt him relax and place his hand in her hair. 

“You’re sure you’re not mad? You get mad a lot,” he said.

“I get mad when you do stupid things. This was just you being nervous. That’s allowed,” she replied. He pulled back to look at her.

“When have I ever done anything stupid?”

“Two minutes ago, you knocked both of us over while acting like a child.” 

“That wasn’t stupid, that was accidental self defense.”

“If I have a bruise, I’m blaming your self defense,” she said in a mocking tone. Edward furrowed his eyebrows.

“I didn’t think you fell that hard. Maybe we should have Granny check on it.”

Winry rolled her eyes. “I’m kidding, I’m fine. You’re such a worrywart.”

Ed ignored her in favor of brushing his fingers over her cheek. He pushed her hair over her ear and held it back.

“The earrings look nice on you. They suit you.”

Winry blinked in surprise. She didn’t expect a compliment. “Thanks, I’m glad to have them back.”

Ed grinned at her in response. She pulled him down for a kiss. He pressed his lips against hers and she could feel his smile on her own.

After a few minutes, she leaned back to look at him. “You’re not embarrassed anymore?” She asked.

Edward spluttered. “Embarrassed?! I don’t get embarrassed!”

“Are you kidding? You’re always embarrassed.”

“Not possible!”

“You get embarrassed, turn bright red, get really quiet and then explode in a huge statement.”

Edward was aghast. There was no way he had ever done that. “The oil fumes are getting to you, Gearhead.”

Winry shook her head. “You have no self awareness.”

Edward scoffed and Winry knew there was no getting through to him. She decided to give up for now and cuddled closer. Edward was muttering to himself but relented when she placed her head under his chin.

“I can give you my earrings back if you want,” Winry said.

“Why?” Ed asked.

“Well, it sounds like you got really attached to them.” Ed began to argue and she quickly cut him off. “Or not. But they mattered to you, yes?”

“I guess you could say that,” Ed mumbled into her hair. “But you don’t need to give them back. I don’t need ‘em.”

“No?”

“No, I have you.”

Winry was silent for a few seconds. “You know, you can be really sweet sometimes.”

“Only sometimes?” He pulled back to look at her.

“If you say more things like that you might be bumped up to most of the time.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Now I seem to recall I wasn’t allowed to make demands earlier,” Edward said, leaning towards her slowly.

“Right?” She could see where he was going with this and was already pulling him closer to her.

“Can I make a request instead?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while! I'm glad to be writing again. January is always a bad time for me so I'm glad it's over and I can do more writing. Recently I rewatched FMAB and I always wondered when Ed gave Winry her earrings back. I might do a oneshot of another scenario for it, I think it's a cute moment for them. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	8. A Little Bit Sick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winry is a little bit sick and Edward is overreacting.

**A Little Bit Sick**

Winry hated being sick.

She wasn’t sick often only about once or twice a year. But when it happened it hit her hard. She’d get dizzy and feverish while dealing with a stomach flu. Or it would be  an ear infection which would turn into a sore throat and then into a severe cold. It always happened after an intense week of work when she had been pushing herself too hard. She would have to push forward orders for a couple of weeks and lay in bed trying not to think about her stomach or her empty workshop. At first she had tried to sneak down to the basement to work but Granny would always notice and stop her. So Winry had resigned herself to being sick and bored for a few days before throwing herself back into her work. 

But now the Elric Brothers were home. And Edward was being So. Very. Annoying.

She understood where he was coming from, she really did. His history with his mother and her sickness left him feeling incredibly concerned whenever anyone he cared for became ill. And he hadn’t been around to see her be sick when he was traveling around Amestris with Al so he had no idea how to help her. Or anyone really. It was becoming increasingly obvious to Winry that Edward knew very little about illness and treatment or even basic bedside manner.

“I don’t need another pillow, Ed. I’m fine!” Winry shouted for the third time that morning. Edward was currently offering her his own pillow from his room. She was surrounded by things he had brought her: a blanket, 3 books, 2 cups of water, her slippers, an apple (to keep the doctor away), her toothbrush, and even her wrench. He thought it would make her feel better which was sweet. Until he wouldn’t leave.

“I just want you to be comfy. Are you sure you don’t need more medicine?” Ed asked.

“I already took some medicine earlier today. I can’t just eat a bunch of pills and get better. You should know that, you’re the scientist!”

“Winry, you shouldn’t be yelling in your state.”

“My state? I have a fever. That’s it. This isn’t even as bad as it usual is.” Winry trailed off as she saw Ed’s eyes widen.  _ Oh no _ , she thought.

“It’s usually worse? What do you mean, usually? Does this happen often? Why didn’t you call me?” Edward was combing his fingers through his hair and pacing.  _ He doesn’t have it in a ponytail today, _ Winry mused as he panicked.

“I don’t think you, of all people, can criticize me for not calling. Now if you don’t get out of my room I will use this wrench you brought for me to throw you out!”

“Edward! Stop agitating the patient. You’re only going to make it worse if she keeps yelling at you.” Granny had appeared at Winry’s door holding a bowl of soup on a tray. She brought it over to Winry and set it on her lap gently.

“Fine! Sorry for trying to help!” Ed stomped out of the room and down the stairs.

Winry sighed and rubbed her temple. “Thanks Granny. He was getting on my last nerve.”

“That’s alright. But you should let him fuss over you sometimes. It’s a rare sight,” Granny replied.

“He’s just so… worried.”

“I know, dear. He’s an Elric. Full force in everything he does. But it comes from a place of caring and a place of fear.”

The two women paused as both of their thoughts went to Trisha. Winry knew she overreacted but she had had her reasons.

“I know all that, I do. But…”

Granny adjusted the pillows behind her head and waited. When Winry didn’t respond she raised an eyebrow. “Come on, child, I don’t have all day.”

Winry looked down at her soup, twirling the spoon through it. In a very small voice she said, “I don’t want him to see me sick. I haven’t showered and my hair’s a mess.”

Granny shook her head.  _ Lovestruck fools. _ “Winry, you could be covered in grease and not have showered in a week and that idiot would still look at you like you were all the answers to every alchemic question he’s ever had.”

Winry started but before she could reply Granny waved her off. “Hurry and eat your soup. I need you getting better. You’re not the only one that bean sprout is bugging. He’s been asking me way too many questions. I have work to do, I don’t have time for that!” Granny squeezed her hand and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Winry thought as she ate her soup.  _ I suppose it is nice to be worried about even if he’s going overboard. And I can imagine how scary it might be.  _ She thought about Edward as a child and frowned.  _ I don’t ever want him to go through that kind of pain again. But I really am fine!  _ She finished up her soup and set the tray on the floor. After reaching over and turning the lamp off, she settled down into her bed and squeezed the pillow Edward had left.  _ Huh, it kinda smells like his hair,  _ she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

Outside her door, Al and Ed were whispering. “Brother, you know you should leave her alone. Granny said so.”

“I’m just gonna check on her, Al. It’s fine.” Ed slowly opened the door and peeked his head in. “You can’t tell me you’re not worried.”

Al shrugged. “I am worried. But I also trust Granny when she says Winry will be okay.” He leaned in to look as Ed walked slowly over to Winry’s bedside.

“See? She’s sleeping. That means she’s feeling better,” Al said.

“That’s good. Last night she was tossing and turning a lot,” Ed whispered back.

“You came into her room last night? That’s kind of creepy, brother.”

“Not like that, it was to check on her!” Ed said this a little louder and both brothers froze as Winry adjusted in her sleep. After a few seconds, they let out a breath.

“She’s fine. Let’s go before she wakes up and hits us with her wrench.”

“You can go, I’m gonna stay a bit.” Edward crouched next to Winry’s bed and rested his head on his arms next to her pillow.

“Suit yourself.” Alphonse rolled his eyes as he walked away.  _ Lovestruck doofus. _

Edward watched as Winry breathed in her sleep. It calmed him down to be able to see her and know she was okay. This wasn’t something he could protect her from; it wasn’t a villain he could fight. Even if everything was okay this time it didn’t mean it would be the next.  _ I just want you to be safe and healthy. _ He reached forward and lightly brushed some hair away from her face. As he did, Winry turned her head slightly towards him. He took her hand in his own and squeezed it gently. In return he felt a light squeeze.  _ That’s strange. I thought she was asleep.  _ He did it again. Same response.  _ Maybe it’s some kinda muscle thing or something.  _ Edward thought about it as he rubbed circles on the back of her hand.  _ Or maybe… maybe she’s reassuring me even now.  _ He stayed there, deep in thought, and didn’t even notice as the sun rose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Thanks as always for commenting, it always motivates me. I'm hoping to participate in Edwin 503 week with some oneshots so I hope you'll check those out.
> 
> Enjoy!


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